This disclosure relates to an enhanced thermally conditioned climate seat and a method for operating the same.
Thermally conditioned seats are increasingly used in vehicles to provide a more comfortable microclimate for vehicle occupants. In such seats it is common to heat or cool both the seat bottom and seat back simultaneously and uniformly in response to a user input via a switch. In one type of thermally conditioned seat, the heater in the seat back may be separately energized with the heater in the seat bottom off.
A variety of approaches have been used to cool a seat. In one example, generally, cooled air flows through passages in the seat to provide cooled fluid through perforations in the exterior of the seat's cover. The cooled fluid may be provided from the vehicle heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system or by using a thermoelectric device, such as a Peltier device.
In one type of cooling arrangement, a bag is supported on a polyurethane foam seat portion. Side bolsters are provided on either side of the seat portion. Typically, the bag extends the entire width of the seat portion to the bolsters. The bag includes a plastic exterior providing a cavity within which a breathable spacer material, such as a woven textile, is arranged to keep the cavity opened so that air may pass through the cavity. Holes are provided in the bag's plastic exterior. A cover is arranged over the bag and seat portion. The cover includes an air permeable layer adjacent to the bag and an aesthetic layer that includes perforations. A blower supplies cooled fluid to the bag and flows through the breathable spacer material and out holes in the plastic exterior. The cooled fluid is then distributed by the air permeable layer and out the perforations in the aesthetic layer.
In another type of cooling arrangement, channels are provided in the foam seat portion. The cover is arranged on the seat portion over the channels, and the blower provides cooled fluid to the channels. The cooled fluid flows from the channels into the air permeable layer and out the perforations in the aesthetic layer.